Minute Hand, Hour Hand
by haveiloved
Summary: "It's possible to have already known your soul mate before you clock out. You see, your clock is not only based on your soul mate but if you're ready or not to meet them, ready to know they're 'the one.' It's not only about compatibility but maturity." In which a watch holds the future of your love life just with numbers.


**Disclaimer: I own nothing**

* * *

_"You agree that the concept is stupid?"_

_"I think it's the way people use it makes it seem stupid."_

He hated those damn watches. His friends used to look at it constantly every time they saw a pretty girl at the bar. Jehan would always smile when he saw soul mates meet for the first time. Enjolras was disgusted by it. Counting down the days when you meet your soul mate? That takes out the adventure does it not? He watched people countlessly stare at the watches on their wrists, he watched kids run with them on, and it disappointed him to no end.

"Maybe you should look at it Enjolras, it may do you some good," Jehan suggested. He sat with the woman who was his "better half" with a strawberry blonde color in her hair.

"I refuse to give in to such a stupid concept," Enjolras replied. All his friends are surrounded by their loved ones while he, the marble leader, sits at a table, his table mates being his black coffee and law books.

"C'mon Enjolras, you could find happiness! You would find someone who would love you to the ends of the Earth. You need someone to tone down that fire of yours." Courfeyrac shouted over the noise of the cafe.

"Since I cannot focus on my studies here, I'm heading back to my apartment to work. Feel free to join me when you get over these silly love antics.

He ran to the elevator in hopes of avoiding human contact.

It doesn't work.

He meets Eponine at the door.

"What's got you in a rush? You look like hell." She asked.

"Friends were bothering me about my clock. How I should check it every once in a while." The elevator door opens and both step inside.

"Cosette has been worrying me about it. I'd rather not think about the watch."

"You agree that the concept is stupid?"

"I think it's the way that people use it makes it seem stupid." She stepped off the elevator onto the third floor and left the blonde haired man stunned.

He saw Eponine two days later on a cool fall Saturday afternoon in the lobby of the apartment complex. She was wearing black leggings and an oversized sweatshirt with her hair lazily thrown up into a ponytail. When she saw him, she gave him a warm smile and jogged over to him.

"Going to go save the world Superboy?" She asked eyeing his basketball shorts and tshirt. He would never know how it made him look like a superhero.

"Just my world. I need a pick-me-up. Would you like to tag along?" She smiled and nodded. The pair walk out of the doors to the building, letting the warm September air surround them.

"Your clock is covered," she points out.

"So is yours, and you never told me why."

"And you never told me why you cover yours."

"I thought we covered this in the elevator last night. I cover mine because I believe it's stupid." He sighed and spared a glance at the girl beside him.

Eponine looked down at her feet as they walk to the cafe. "I cover mine because love is ridiculous."

* * *

_"There is enough knowledge to make anything to help someone out, yet we come out with a clock that predicts when you'll meet your soul mate. It's stupid"_

_"So is the human race."_

His friends hated him when Enjolras finally said they couldn't bring their significant others. R complained with drunken slurs and Courfeyrac just pouted.

"You have the rest of your life with them. But this time is ours, and unless they have an interest in helping the homeless they are not permitted to this meeting." He gathered his papers into one neat stack and passed information sheets regarding the latest protest they were trying to throw. "We need to work towards this date. It's in three months and if we're lucky we won't have to stage a protest if our petition works as planned. Courfeyrac, Feuilly, and Grantaire, you're in charge of the flyers to put around town. Jehan, Joly, and Bossuet are in charge of finding supporters for our cause. Bahorel, find a secure location, one that is ideal for this protest. 'Ferre and I will work on the petition." He passed the papers out and sent them to work.

"Don't you think that was a little harsh Enjolras?" Combeferre asked. He was the only one other than Enjolras to still be single. He wasn't affected by it, he just reminded himself that it was going to be okay. He'd meet her one day.

"I'm tired of the lack of progress. It's all because of those watches. I don't understand the point of them." Enjolras slammed papers on the desk angrily. His friend just watched helplessly as the fiery blonde sifted through pages of past petitions and speeches for precedence. "Love isn't the only thing to live for, it isn't the only thing worth searching for. I just wish they would understand that."

The door opens and brings in the late summer air and possibly the most annoying person in Enjolras' mind.

Marius Pontmercy.

Out of all his friends, Marius was the most obsessed with finding his soul mate. He looked high and low and found her just two weeks ago. He was always late now that he was dating Colette? The blonde lark who "graced the Earth with her innocent presence and angelic perfection."

"Enjolras! I just had the most amazing time with Cosette today! We went on a picnic and-"

"Marius, I don't care. You're either here to work for the cause or grab a coffee and leave." Marius opened his mouth to say something more but was stopped by the ice cold glare Enjolras gave him.

"That was a little mean don't you think Enjolras?" Combeferre asked once Marius went to help Courfeyrac and R.

"I don't care. I don't care about his love life. I don't care about anything other than this cause and he's always the one obstacle constantly slowing the progress of this cause."

"Go home."

"What?" Papers stopped shuffling and blue eyes met brown, golden hair met sandy.

"You're stressed. Go home, I'll take care of it. Go sleep or something, whatever this generation does."

"I just got here. I cannot leave this meeting!"

"You can and you will. You are too stressed and angry to do proper work, leave it to me. I'll make sure it's done. Go home." Combeferre shoved his friend out the door with his belongings.

Enjolras was, of course, outraged. Why was he kicked out of his own meeting because of the idiocy of his friends? Nonetheless, he started back to his apartment building, taking the long scenic way around New York. Nowadays, it's hard to find a spot in the skyline that is barren, void of just one skyscraper. On days he's not feeling well, he'll stand on the roof of his apartment building and count the gaps in between the buildings where he can see the pinks and oranges of the setting sun sky.

His reverie is broken when he knocks into someone smaller than him.

"Ow watch where you're going dumbass." The victim of his clumsy daydreaming looked up at him with those impeccable brown eyes he's seen many times before.

"Eponine?"

"Enjolras. Didn't take you for a klutz."

"Funny," he said. She overlooked him and checked the time on her phone. Her face was confused and yet somewhat amused.

"Your meeting started five minutes ago and you're heading in the wrong direction. What's up? Did you cancel it? Too many of your friends have dates?"

"'Ferre made me leave. I was a little 'too harsh' for progress."

"You being harsh? Never!" She pushed his shoulder playfully and laughed in a mocking tone.

"Shut up. It's hardly fair you know, if only they'd focus on the cause at hand-"

"Instead of the loves of their life? Yeah, I understand." Eponine ran a hand through her hair and looked around at the abnormally quiet streets. "Where are you going?"

"I don't know, I suppose I was going to go back to my apartment but I don't know if I'm up for that."

"Well, I was heading to the park to swing on the swing sets and act like I'm seven again. Care to join?" She smiled and somehow managed to get him walking in the direction of the park three blocks away. They find the swings completely empty and the surrounding area void of any other people.

"What's your cause about this time?" She asked while digging her toes into the mulch beneath her feet.

"Proper help for the homeless. They don't get all the resources they need. We just need to realize the importance of helping the less fortunate."

She fiddled with her sleeve covering the arm that held the demon they've all been cursed with. "When's the last time you've checked it?" She asked. Her voice was soft and small like a child's. He forgot just how much older he was than her. Three years? It can't be more than four. She's eighteen right?

"A month ago. I forgot how long I have. You?"

"I don't remember. It's been awhile." Silence followed her answer until it becomes too much. "They lie to you, the government does." He looked over to her, she stared off into the scene of trees in front of them. "It's possible to have already known your soul mate before you clock out. You see, your clock is not only based on your soul mate but if you're ready or not to meet them, ready to know they're 'the one.' It's not only about compatibility but maturity. It's possible you've known your match all your life but no five year old is ready to know that their kindergarten best friend is the one they're supposed to marry. For all you know, your soul mate could be right in front of you and you'd never know until that fateful day."

He's dumbfounded by the information and somewhat intrigued by this girl who had once again managed to surprise him.

"It's kind of dumb though, this whole watch thing. You have kids looking for who is their match is when they should be looking at getting good grades. You have people who overlook people who're in love with them because the clock said that they'll meet 'the one' in two months. This shitty clock has people thinking that the only one they can fall in love with is the one who has a matching clock, someone they've never met. I wish I could just rip it off, show the government that this clock isn't who I am. Love isn't the only important thing in life."

Although he understood her anger he knew the cost of talking treasonous against the government. He understood that there was a time and a place for doing such things. He understood the tension and where she was coming from in her points, he wholeheartedly agreed, but he knew that if she wanted a change, she couldn't spoil the surprise of a rebellion.

"They're only doing this to distract us! They're planning something and using this clock to direct our attention elsewhere and-" He couldn't think of a way to shut up that didn't look as suspicious. Enjolras acted on pure instinct and kissed her. Her lips were warm and chapped. They held the fire in her heart and the struggle she's survived over the years. He felt the unsaid words go down his throat and settle in his stomach. He couldn't place the fireworks going off in his head and the pin needles in his toes and hands. He couldn't explain the muddled thoughts in his brain when he felt her lips move against his.

After moments of tantalizing slow kisses they pull away, both feeling the need for air. Her eyes were a sparkling brown in a way he never knew possible and her lips were the perfect plump pink that made him want to kiss her again.

"You can't talk like that 'Ponine," he whispered. "They might hear, they might kill you."

She pulled away and laughed at him. "Superboy, you do that all the time."

"Yes, but you have a bright future ahead of you."

"And you do not?"

"Fighting for the people is my future." He stood from the swing set and looked down at her with a smirk.

"Well what if it's mine too?"

"We both know that's not the case Eponine. You have something to go on for, you have something to keep you out of trouble."

"Like?" She batted her eyelashes but made it look so natural yet still had his heart pounding.

"School." Eponine visibly relaxed for reasons he wouldn't find out for a while. She pulled away completely and stood up from the bench. He tried to contain the hurt he felt inside.

It didn't work.

He'd have all night to think about why it bothered him so much.

"This has been great Enjolras but I have to get home. I'll see you when I see you?"

"Yeah, stay safe."

"Oh Superboy, you must confuse me with some other friend. I know my way around here, I can take care of myself. Think of me as some invisible girl."

He laughed at her somewhat joking manner and smiled at the brunette as she turned to walk away.

"I mean it 'Ponine, don't die!"

"There's a higher chance of you dying than me Blondie!"

* * *

_"Your eyes."_

_"What about them?"_

_"They contradict their existence."_

_"How?"_

_"They're blue as the sky but they look like fire."_

He was no longer the last one in the cafe these days. The end meant he could go home and review his notes and ideas with Eponine. She was the invisible girl and saw things he couldn't see from the sky.

"Why are you using so many big words? These people don't care about words you use to get a higher grade on a high school essay." His speech was covered in red circles and crosses made by his lovely companion.

"So you want me to use easy words?"

"Everyday words. Normal people don't plethora or facetious in an everyday conversation."

"I do."

"And I said normal people."

"I'm normal."

"You are the antonym of normal, just look it up in the dictionary."

And you are the synonym of everything I could dream of having and losing at the same time.

"Anything else?" He asked.

"No, not really. I just really want to watch a movie. Or go eat, eatings sounds a lot better actually." Her smile lit up the room. She was the moonlight in his window and her eyes were the shadows.

"Okay lets go. Grab your coat it's cold outside."

"I got it calm down I'm aware of the temperature even if I don't have a fancy iPhone that tells me so."

"You have ice cream on your face." Enjolras laughed at the little speck of chocolate on her nose. Funny how everything about her was some shade of brown.

"Is it gone?" Eponine stuck her tongue out and tried in vain to reach the chocolate with it.

"Still there."

"Fuck it. Pass me a napkin?"

"What's the magic word?"

"Pass me the damn napkin now."

"Why should I?"

She leaned over the table and whispered threateningly. "Remember that I come from the shadows Superman."

Maybe that's how you managed to sneak up on me.

She snatched a napkin from his hand and wiped the offending substance off her face.

So this is what perfection is. Flawed people.

"Mommy look! soul mates right there! Do you think I'll meet a boy like that one day?" A little girl squealed as they walked past the outdoor patio of the ice cream shop.

Eponine's cheeks flushed into a bright red which he could only imagine reflected his. He tried to correct the little girl's mistake but the five year old was already gone.

* * *

_"These watches ruin love for people."_

_"Why do you say that 'Ponine?"_

_"The best part about love is the mystery. It's the surprise. It's the thrill."_

"When were you going to tell me?" And there she was, storming into his apartment, wild hair and fiery eyes. Her fists were clenched and her mouth in a tight line. Her brown eyes looked a little watery but he wasn't sure, the lighting was terrible in his home sometimes.

"Tell you what?" He stood to his feet, and walked over to the brunette.

"That you were planning a protest that may or may not get rowdy and violent."

"You knew that."

"You didn't tell me it was tomorrow."

"I'm sorry? I don't see the problem here, it's about the life of a homeless person-"

"Bullshit. You changed it last month. You're talking about the watches now. Do you know how dangerous that is? Enjolras, if you didn't notice, tomorrow is Valentine's Day! But I'm guessing you were highly aware of that fact."

"It's not as bad as you think it is. It's completely innocent."

Her eyes rolled. "Like all your other protests? I don't know if you remember Enjolras, you're other 'peaceful protests' end up with you and your friends and jail and me bailing you out then cleaning you up later. This will be like every other, it'll be violent and someone is going to get hurt."

"No one will 'Ponine." Silence filled the room.

"I'm going. I'm going to be there."

His stomach dropped, his heart clenched. Anger swelled up inside. He wasn't going to let that happen.

"No you're not." His fists clenched at his sides.

"I don't believe you have the authority over me to do so." She stepped closer to him, eyes on fire, heartbeat racing.

"You're not going. I will make sure of it." He stepped dangerously closer to her. Blue eyes shooting ice down her spine, breath erratic.

"And why not?"

"Because-"

For all you know, your soul mate could be right in front of you and you'd never know until that fateful day.

"Because I can't lose you too. Someone has to keep me sane in this world."

Her eyes lost the hope they had for a moment. Her shoulders deflated slightly. "That's it?" She looked slightly broken.

"No." He reached up to touch her face. Her cheek perfectly fitting in his palm. "Because I know you're right."

"About what? I'm right about a lot of things." He chuckled slightly and his heart raced when she smiled softly.

"Clocks don't matter."

* * *

_"Please 'Ponine, don't go. I beg of you."_

_"I won't go, I swear."_

_"No, promise."_

_"I promise."_

_It was an empty promise._

_And he fell for it._

"These clocks are stupid! Do you want your children focusing solely on love? There are more important things in life." The crowd was raging. His blood was pumping. He could see the anger on everyone's eyes. A fury awakened. "They're distracting us from poverty! From other things that are going on in this place. Don't sit back and let it run its course. Take action!"

He scanned the crowd, not realizing what he was doing. What he was looking for, or rather who. She wasn't here which calmed him down a little.

Courfeyrac and Combeferre continued shouting and Marius stood in the crowd. There was so much energy going on. It was unstoppable.

Until it was stopped.

Police came out of nowhere. They carried bats and guns, ready to shoot. Ready to stop any "rebel". An all out riot broke out.

Enjolras hopped off the stage, preparing to get his friends out of this situation and help the civilians supporting this cause. He thought he saw a flash of brown hair that looked familiar.

No. She's not here. She promised.

He still ran after that image. Still searched for her. He shouldn't be running like this. And if that flash of hair is her, he shouldn't be running to the most violent area. But he is. Because it's her. Her brown eyes, dark hair, and stubborn smile which was now a mouth pressed in a line. She shouldn't be here dammit. She had lied to his face, and it hurt more than he'd ever let on. She could get hurt, she could get hurt really bad.

He wasn't necessarily sure when he started caring for her, but if wasn't sure if he loved her, he was positive now. His heart was hammering in his chest, his breathing was erratic, it seemed like his eyes could never search the crowd fast enough because he lost her. She disappeared from his sights and he couldn't see her anymore. He couldn't listen for her, there was too much noise.

"Ep!" He tried yelling for her, but she still didn't respond. She was missing, and he wished it was because she hadn't come. He thought his heart was pounding so hard he wouldn't be able to hear anything. How he wished that was the case because he heard a scream, so feminine, and in that moment, he knew whom it belonged to.

Eponine.

Enjolras bolted and pushed through protesters. He wasn't going to lose her, not today, not when she had so much life to live. He wondered if he was going through cardiac arrest or if it was completely normal to have your heart hammering against your ribcage.

"Eponine!" He called again. The only response was another cry of pain that was undoubtedly hers. He came to a clearing in the middle of the street. The police were few in this area, but it was obvious they had been here earlier.

He saw Gavroche before he saw her. The twelve year old had tears running down his cheeks that flew off his face as he ran to Enjolras. Roche attacked him in a hug, crying into his waist.

"Gavroche what's wro-" He stopped mid sentence, ice running cold. He saw the issue. He saw the problem. How could he not? Possibly the only girl he'd ever love was lying on the ground, in the middle of the street, bleeding. He gently pried the boy off his waist before he ran to her side.

"Ep, what happened?" He sat by her side and propped her up against him. She was way too cold and there was way too much blood.

"Police. Gavroche. Had to save him." She coughed too much when she talked. Her hands were stained red. Her hands were on her stomach.

Oh God.

"Ponine, have you been shot?" Enjolras tried so hard to keep the shake out of his voice but it's terrifying him. It's terrifying that in six short months, this girl has somehow crept into every crack and crevice in his heart without him noticing.

The Invisible Girl.

"Well, yes. That would explain the hole in my stomach I'm trying to cover up." She tried to laugh about it, tried to joke, but he knew she was in pain.

"I told you to stay home."

"And I told you that you have no authority over me."

He ran a hand through his hair, a hand stained red. Gold locks met crimson substance. "Why couldn't you have listened to me just once Eponine?"

"That'd be too easy Enj." She cupped his cheek with a shaky hand. "You know I never do anything the easy way. That's the reason why I loved you. You're not an easy person to love Jolras. You're quite oblivious."

His eyes went wide, his ears lost their hearing, his fingers and toes went numb. "You- you loved me? How long?"

"Does it matter? I never checked my clock, but I suppose if you really want to know, you'll check it once I'm gone."

"Don't talk like that. You don't get to talk like that." His blue eyes a furious fire. "You can't die on me Ep, you have many more years to live. Don't give up."

"But you've given up. You're just sitting here with me, you haven't called anyone." She looked so pale, so peaceful, so content. He had to know the end was there. Eponine was tan, a powerful whirlwind, and never satisfied. In his heart, he knew she was done, she was a goner, but he wanted her to live. He didn't want her to know that she was right. He had given up.

"C'mon Superboy, cheer up. I'll get my powers soon, I'll be invisible. You should be happy for me." She tried to give him a pained smile, it only brought tears to his eyes.

"You can't get your powers yet."

"Remember how I used to like Marius?" He nodded, jealousy in the pit of his stomach. "I was so stupid. I don't even think I liked him because I never saw a future with him. I never saw us getting married or even dating. But-" She stopped talking, whether it was because she was crying or she just couldn't breathe, he'd never know. "But I saw a future with you. I saw you actually saying you liked me, or loved me. I saw us getting married. I saw little kids with my hair and eye color but your strong jaw and wild curls. I saw them caring for others like you do. I saw so many things in you Enjolras. You will always be my Superboy." She had tears running down her cheeks, they mirrored his own. He never cried, not until he was losing the only girl that would ever mean anything to him. "Would you kiss me? Just one more time?" Her breath was shallowing when he nodded and leaned in.

The kiss itself was chaste, he didn't want to steal away her dying breaths. But she died just eleven seconds later. "You will always be my Invisible Girl." They lay there together. His heart was in shambles and hers was no longer beating.

Oh how unfair the world was.

Although he didn't want to, he checked her clock. It was all zeroes. With shaky hands he checked his own.

All zeroes.

Their clocks matched. Usually, it would have been exciting uplifting, but most soul mates don't see their better half die in their arms before they knew.

But he knew it, without the clock. His heart sunk in a certain way. His stomach fluttered when she was around. He may have been oblivious to her feelings, but he wasn't to his own. She was his. The other end to his "string of fate". The string that had now been cut.

Not to far away, Gavroche stood crying. Enjolras didn't want to look at him, he was scared he'd see Eponine's eyes. However, he knew his job. He left Eponine on the ground, knowing full and well that someone would get her, and walked over to the boy.

"You hate me now, don't you?" The older man was surprised to hear Gavroche speak at all. "It's okay, I hate me too. I should've been paying attention. She's dead now. You were her soul mate, and she was yours and I ruined any chance of you two having a future together. I'm sorry."

Enjolras pulled the boy into a tight embrace, holding him as they both cried. "It's not your fault Roche. Don't you ever think that again okay? It was never your fault."

His hand smoothed Gavroche's blonde hair, staining it red just like his own. Months later, he'd see red and finally not tear up at the sight. He'd see couples and not want to pull his own hair out. No, he'd just remember the beautiful brunette that could've been his had he not royally screwed up.

* * *

_Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it. I'm sorry it doesn't end happily but not all people get happy endings. Life is full of "shit happens" and "what the fucks?" _

_Anyway, review any of your favorite parts, scenes, or what I need to work on. It would help me as a writer to get feedback. Thank you!_


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